By Vivek Wallace: In only a few days Puerto Rico’s very own, Felix ‘Tito’ Trinidad will step into the great ‘blue abyss’ against one of the perennial talents of this era, Roy Jones Jr. The fact that this fight is taking place at a time when both men are considered to be beyond their prime has some scratching their head, but for those of us who understand the current landscape of the fight game, it’s very easy to state the fact that there can simply never be a bad time for a good fight..
Many things about this fight intrigue. Among them, not only the question of what exactly does Trinidad have left in his tank after two retirements?, but also, can Roy Jones Jr. reclaim the skillset that once made him such an incredible talent?
Being a fan of both fighters, I would probably still agree with the masses that this fight should not cost $50 to view from your living room couch, but none-the-less, there are many things that even in a delayed presentation, make this a fight worth watching.
When trying to predict a winner in this fight, perhaps the most telling stat can be viewed by taking a snapshot at the history of Roy Jones Jr.
Few aside from the oddsmakers have noted the fact that while Roy Jones Jr. is a steady 18-4 with 9KO’s above the light heavyweight division, he’s an astounding 33-0 with 29KO’s below that limit. Couple this stat with the fact that Felix Trinidad has only fought over 147lbs eight times, (two ending in defeat and neither being above 160lbs), and all of a sudden the predicted ending becomes alot more legible.
Roy Jones Jr. has become the ‘fall guy’ in wake of three embarrassing losses but when examined, that assessment can be a bit humorous. Humorous in the since that we can all agree it was common knowledge that rising Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto would occasionally hit the canvas as a weakened fighter in the jr. welterweight division, but fighting in his natural weight class he is visibly stronger, more durable. Roy Jones Jr., in contrast, went up to a near two hundred pounds, then had to lose nearly 25 pounds of muscle in such a short period of time, yet no one understood how the relativity of that weight and muscle loss played a role in his weakened status, possibly being the underlying factor in his poor performances during that stretch.
This is a man who at its best, had only lost maybe 7 uncontested rounds in the last 5+ years of his career. Clearly a double standard relative to how the media portrays some and covets others.
No knocks on the men who defeated Roy, but his conqueror, Antonio Tarver, may have very well gotten a dose of this same reality himself as he came down in weight after filming the last ‘Rocky’ movie and in a weaker state was totally annihilated by Bernard Hopkins.
All things being equal, in this fight, both men have the ability to close the show when they come to perform but there’s a possibility neither man does it, which leads us to keys to victories and predictions.
Roy Jones Jr. Keys To Victory
Considering that only 4 men have escaped the KO against Jones Jr. in this weight realm, the keys to victory for Jones are quite simple, and it all starts with spacing and angles. The best way to keep space and create angles against a fighter like Trinidad is to use a stiff jab, like the way we saw Mayweather keep Hatton at bay. Jones Jr. must use great discretion with angles and spacing to not only setup his shots, but also to avoid the bombs that Tito will throw in return. Considering that Jones has been the more active fighter, stamina should be on his side, which would make this gameplan a bit easier to execute.
Another thing that Jones must do is try to keep the fight in the middle of the ring where his speed can become more of a factor, and perhaps the main detriment to Tito. Laying on the ropes and allowing Tito to build confidence by chopping at the ribs and the temple could seal the deal for what may end a very unfortunate night for Jones. If he (Jones) can avoid lazy defense and effectively pick his shots and use what is still a very incredible offensive skillset, this fight could a walk in the park and even reestablish Jones Jr. in the world of boxing.
Felix Trinidad Keys To Victory
The key to this fight for Trinidad is ultimately gonna come down to two things. Stamina and ring rust. Ring rust can be very deceptive to a fighter in the sense that it only surfaces in certain situations. Unfortunately, it can at times be situations that the fighter himself can’t always detect, despite sparring and training. For example, in his initial return fight against Ricardo Mayorga a few years ago, Trinidad looked sharp, with little ring rust effects at all. But after that fight when he stepped in against a ‘live’ opponent, (Winky Wright), who was not a standing target, the very same rust that he was thought not to have became very obvious. The Jones Jr. fight could present the same challenge.
Although Roy’s reflexes aren’t what they used to be, he can make up for it with his still better than average speed. If ring rust causes Trinidad to miss alot, and stamina causes him to get hit alot, it could be a short night for the ‘Pride’ of Puerto Rico. Trinidad will have to pick his shots wisely and not let the fallacies of Jones’ chin lure him into going for an early knockout because if he fails to do that, frustration sets in, and we all know what happens at that point. Trinidad will need to fight a very smart fight and try to establish a jab to keep Roy off balance.
Prediction
RJJ KO9: There WILL be a KO. I won’t buy into Roy’s “Tito must go in fo’ bravado, but I do think the Puerto Rican legend kisses the canvas for good between the 8th and 10th round. The inactivity and the accumulation of powershots will inevitably take its toll. Tito is a very live underdog and has a punchers chance, but I envision Roy using this fight to reestablish his relevance in the world of boxing.
(Got feedback? Write ESB’s Vivek Wallace at vivexemail@yahoo.com or show some love at www.myspace.com/anonymouslyinvolved)